Yakuza 0 is such an awesome game. The 80s setting, the music, the villains, the story, especially the Majima part, it's so good! Crosscode still lies on my pile as well, I'm also a bit hesitant because of the many puzzles.
I played CrossCode WAAAAY back when it was crowdfounded. Oh man, this is AGES ago. The puzzles ... are really prevalent. If you dont like puzzles, you dont like CrossCode. I dont like puzzles... but the action-combat was very good. Never finished it sadly.
@@danielehartmann2787 Yeah, the combat, art style and music look very good and I really want to like the game. I'm afraid the puzzles might make it a bummer for me. It seems to be possible to reduce the puzzle difficulty at least.
@@firebreather4192 I mean, if the puzzles get TOO annoying but you really want to play the game - I think to look for puzzle guides isn't too shaby ;___;
Yakuza 0 is so good, one of my fav games ever. Getting the story from the rest of the series (namely Yakuza 1-5) is not. Games have not aged well for people who are used to the high quality after Yakuza 0. Yakuza Kiwami 2 though is very good and has a lot of QOL, I do recommend that one highly especially since it sums up Yakuza 1 too. But yeah, tough series to get fully caught up on unless you wanna RUclips the main plots (I do recommend doing that for Y1, Y4, Y5. Just skip Y3 altogether)
I'd suggest you use your time on other games if you are interested in CrossCode but don't like puzzles. They aren't just the forefront, they're the focus of the game. All the treasures, you have to figure out how to get to. The dungeons are 90% puzzles and 10% combat that's just there to break up the puzzle-solving. And the dungeons are LONG if you aren't really good at puzzle-solving. There are bosses, but even then you have to figure out how to beat them, though that is only about 1/4 as difficult as the puzzles. I like the game and I like puzzles, but even I had to call it quits after the third dungeon. So, I'd highly advise using your time elsewhere if you don't like puzzles.
Agreed. I really want to see how the story turns out, but all the puzzles have kept me from getting through it all the way (I'm pretty sure I was on the last dungeon too). Combat and story were the highlights for me!
Yep, 100%. Although CrossCode was one of my favorite indy titles, it does have a heavy focus on puzzles. Whats worse, if you are going for achievements, they are timed which led me to eventually playing most of the game with a video walkthrough (a personal first). All that said, I also dislike puzzles and still really loved CrossCode for it's story (of which I wish there was more) and fluid action combat.
I really enjoyed AI Somnium Files and I also played Nirvana Initiative. It's from the Zero Escape series creator, another fave series of mine. Puzzles, multiple story branches, and some humor to balance out the serious parts of the story. I hope you get to this one.
This looks to be the craziest year for JRPGs that I can recall. I'll have to forget about the backlog. Within 2 months from now we will have: Granblue Fantasy: Relink, Persona 3 Reload, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Unicorn Overlord and Dragon's Dogma 2
Do yourself a favor and skip "Crystar". For all intents and purposes, the general consensus is that "Crymachina" is an overall improvement. So if you disliked "Crymachina", you will no doubt dislike "Crystar" as well. Even narrative-wise, I've seen it get accused of being grade school tier writing by many critic types. So i'm having doubts you'd like even that. Seems like they are just those type of games you must already have an appreciation for to like them. If you're already having doubts, chances are good they will be a miss.
Can I name mine too? I want to finish at least Trails of Cold Steel 1&2, Yakuza 4&5, just to come closer to the release dates of newer entries,the Trials of Mana remake and Legend of Mana to finish the series before Vision comes out, Tales of Zestiria and 1 or 2 Atelier games. No clue about the rest, excpetgoing to play Shantae: Risky's Revenge to finish that series.
I already played through Y0-6 + LaD in the past 2 years time (you will need breaks between those games because of how similar they are). I still have Judgment and Ishin + recently released IW to go through but days are just too short. Crosscode is a masterpiece but if you hate puzzles just don't bother, all major dungeons are 70% puzzles 30% fights and those can really drag on during your first playthrough. I don't know if you have played it but you can give Astlibra Revision a go instead of Crosscode.
I played lots of games on this list. Yakuza 0 is awesome, and so is Atelier Rorona. As for Ni no Kuni II, Odin Sphere and AI The Somnium Files, I got the platinum for them, and can say that they are all great!
If you ask Vanillaware fans what the company's best game is, their most frequent answer will likely be Odin Sphere. One problem I find with their titles, is that they often stuggle to balance good storytelling with fun gameplay. 13 Sentinels worked better in the former, and Dragon's Crown with the latter. Odin Sphere is where they got the balance just right, thought personally I enjoyed the storytelling much more and wished it had more focus. I think Unicorn Overlord will focus more on gameplay, but it has a good premise, so Vanillaware could return to success with this title and potentially more remasters of their catalogue.
Out of this list Yakuza 0 and Cross Code would be my favorites. First had a really interesting story and lots of side content to get lost in. It really was my starting point into the series and I still remember it clearly. Cross Code on the other hand also has an fine story and is a beautiful 2D action RPG. But if you do not like puzzle this might be from time to time a downer for you. Also expect some backtracking here and there. But I overall had a fun time and also bought the DLC for it (which is still in my backlog)
I've played a good amount of these myself and I can say Crosscode is definitely a gem at the very least. Puzzle difficulty can be lowered if it is an issue and it doesn't feel like it takes away from enjoyment (at least in my case). Yakuza 0 was amazing and sucked me into the series which I'm still playing through (working on 5). I've got the opposite situation with Spike Chunsoft's VNs. I have Master Detective Archives but have not played it yet. AI: the Somnium Files was amazing and I hope you enjoy all of these games :D
Quite the list for being "super thin"... It's about the same size as mine, and I consider mine rather large. But i never compared backlogs with other people, so i don't know what's generally considered a large backlog. Anyway: Yeah, I also think you'll really like the Yakuza series. And if you do like it, there are also the 2 Judgment games. I got into the series when Yakuza 0 released, and also played the series in chronological order. Back then i alternated between a Yakuza game and something else in between. I'm really looking forward to Infinite Wealth tomorrow.
It's thin compared to what my normal backlogs are, which are generally in the double digits. But this will all depend on whether I go through the entire Yakuza series too.
thanks for the video ❤ oh, i love Nino Kuni 2 so much. the first game (that I didn't want to let go and) I got platinum trophies on ps4. I also hate myself a little because Odin Sphere has been on my backlog for years T_T
If you end up not liking Yakuza 0, then this is going to be my biggest surprise of my life, not even joking. The series as a whole is amazing, I finished every main game, even Judgment and currently playing Lost Judgment. Honestly, it's my second favorite series, ever. 3 and 5 has more lows than the other games, but still, it's an amazing series and I can't recommend it enough. It's a HUGE timesink, so keep that in mind. Odin Sphere Leifthrasir's story is... pretty meh, to put it mildly. It has some interesting moments, but it's not common. The characters are also all very shallow. The gameplay however is great. Not if you want to finish the game in 1 or 2 sittings, it can and will get repititive, but the combat just feels very nice with most characters.
genuinely shocked to see Dungeon Travelers as a sponsor for this video. While it won't change the reality that the Steam release will likely sell poorly, it's cool to see they're trying to keep Aquaplus titles alive in the West.
It's good to see such a resurgence of quality JRPGs. My wallet's going to be burning this year. Good luck to everyone getting to play what they desire.
In case someone is interested. Here's my backlog for 2024: -- Tales of Berseria (PS4) (playing right now) -- Tales of Arise: Beyond the Dawn (PS4) -- Tales of Symphonia Remastered (PS4) -- Persona 3 Remastered (PS4) -- Trails of Cold Steel 2 (PS4) -- Ys X ... of course Given the pace I play games ... this could last till the end of the year. 😉
Having a good defense is sometimes the best offense. Really going to raise the bar for which games I decide to pick up this year. I’m growing tired of reselling 20+ games on Ebay every damn year lol
Crystar, crosscode, odin sphere leiftrasir and ni no kuni 2 are all gameplay focused titles, i love them all but you may not like them considering your weird story over gameplay stance, i 100% completed all 4 games including DLCs
I'm so behind backlog wise. Haven't started the Kiseki series, because every time I think of doing so, I'm just like "I don't have 1000 hours man..." Haven't started Yakuza either. That's just the tip of the iceberg.
Yakuza 0 is absolutely phenomenal and is my favorite game in the series, with Yakuza 7 (LAD) and Kiwami 2 being close picks as well. To give you a heads up, for every entry except 3 & 4, they all are amazing. Narratively the series doesn't get any better than 0 until 7 games later with Yakuza LAD, gameplay wise K2 is the best until LAD Gaiden which is after LAD. The reason I mention gameplay particularly is because since 3-5 are remasters and don't have the updated systems of 0 forward, they play really bad, with 5 being the closest to 0 and 3 being the worst gameplay in the series. 3 and 4 are also overall very boring games (for a lack of a better term). I highly advise going into 3 with low expectations especially with how great K2 is. Using some kind of damage increase cheat, and just focusing on on the main story because you can absolutely suffer from burn out and may even turn you away from the better later entries. Luckily 3 and 4 are the shortest games in the series if you only focus on main story. That isn't to say they inherently have bad stories, characters, or music, because they're all pretty good, it's just the gameplay that is *really* bad on both fronts. TD;LR: 0, K1, K2 - amazing games, great content, incredible gameplay 3 & 4 - awful gameplay, may suffer from burnout, okay narrtive and plot devices 5 - Long game, but decent overall, the final step before the masterpiece Y0 6, LAD (7), LAD Gaiden (7 Gaiden), LAD Infinite Wealth (8) - back to amazing games, LAD goes Turn-based, Gaiden is a marriage of 0 and K2's action gameplay to make the best, most perfected gameplay in the franchise, IW has evolved LAD Turn-based Something every game in the series has is a phenomenal soundtrack, so there's no worry on that front!
Cold Steel IV. Taking a break from it right now, now that I finished Act 2. All the Final Fantasy 6 Anniversary stuff at the beginning of April turn me on to replay that on the Pixel remaster.
Arland series is really good, perhaps Meruru is the weakest in the series story-wise, but you get a lot of awesome characters. And Sterkenburg is definitely a powerhouse. Crystar.. I expect you to drop it after couple hours. Well, I did. It was really a drag and if the story was that good, I would have instead watched it on YT. If you play Yakuza, check out Ryu Mod Manager and other mods (like from Nexusmods). I think pretty much every title gives us (outside japan) a different soundtrack, so mods can restore that - which I feel is ultimatively the best experience. On one hand, everyone says to start with Yakuza 0 - on the other hand, I would say Yakuza 0 combat is so good that you're gonna miss it even as far as into Yakuza 6. Some Yakuza titles have mods to restore the Yakuza 0 combat, some don't (due to technical limitations).
Atelier games are amazing. I played all of Arland Atelier games many years back and like them. The new mobile game is okay but too gacha. Yakuza, I've played and beat them all and currently playing the new Like a dragon. AI Somnium files I only tried for an hour or 2 and got bored. Maybe one day I'll go back to it. Crystar I just finished beating too, about 2 or 3 weeks back. My Grandpa passed away on January 1st, so this game helped me cope with my loss for him since it's about being in limbo and death. Crosscode I finished many years back as well. I kind of got bored of it halfway through but pushed through. The game is somewhat tedious. Odin Sphere was fun. I beat it when it came out as a remastered edition. It's a good 2D JRPG scroller. Ni No kuni 2… played years ago. Didn't like it. I wasn't too much of a fan of the first one either though. But it was better than the 2nd one by far.
The Arland games, Leifthrasir, NNK2 and Yakuza/RGG are all great. Good luck with AI: The Somnium Files. I started out liking that game, but one character in particular, Ota, completely ruined it for me. Every scene he was in was cringe as fuck, and even his family members were just repulsive to me. It doesn't help that nothing he's a part of makes any sense either, but we have pretty different tastes, so maybe you'll come away with a better impression. I started out similarly liking Cross Code, but I never even made it halfway through. It just utterly lost my interest for various reasons, so again, hoping you have a better experience.
I think I clocked 120 hours in Yakuza 0 by the time I was done with my first playthrough, lol. Amazing game. The balance between serious gangster drama and ridiculous humor is handled like nowhere else. You laugh your ass off one moment and cry the second without questioning the pacing. Odin Sphere is over rated. I played a few Vanillaware games (Odin Sphere Leifthrasit, Dragon's Crown, Muramasa) and they're all repetitive poor hack and slash games with even poorer story. Odin Sphere is the other way around, the story over poorer gameplay. They look nice for a few hours but always overstay their welcome by a lot.
You put story ahead of gameplay in video games??? Half the games i play are JRPGs and i still put gameplay over story, but i figured that was most ppl, i mean we are talking about video games here, the words "game" and "gameplay" being key words here, thats like putting CGI and VFX over story in a movie, yes story is important but fun gameplay is what drives the story forward, without good gameplay and mechanics no game is worth playing regardless of how good the story is, i just lost some respect for you my guy, will still watch but that just feels so weird to me, now i just know not to take your recommendations seriously especially considering i found the gameplay in both crymachina and crystar both good, two of my favorite JRPGs, i liked the stories in both games but its the gameplay and RPG mechanics and progression that kept me playing both games, no game can get by on story alone, gameplay is what drives story forward, too many times now have stories gotten in the way of good gameplay, great gameplay can be ruined by the story, your playing with a character you love and then they kill off the character or the character leaves, a good developer will meld the story around the gameplay and will never sacrifice why we play these games just because they want to go in a direction with the story
Honestly, if puzzles are a huge red flag for you, then you will have a lot of difficulty with CrossCode. Each dungeon is filled with puzzles. Even the overworld is kind of a puzzle (where I can jump on this ledge, how I deactivate this barrier, etc). It's quite sad, because story, characters, lore, combat, music, etc, are so good. I didn't feel a shame to use a puzzle guide for this ahah. At least there is some accessibility option for the puzzles. 😁
If I’m being honest, since I actually loved playing through Crosscode, if you have a deep dislike for puzzle-solving as part of a game’s core pacing loops, then you’re better off skipping it-and I say that as someone who absolutely loved the game back in 2021-2022. Everything involves puzzle solving, if not in dungeons then with its platforming. They took forever to develop the game because it’s fully coded in a rarely used game engine based on HTML5, specifically so that they could maintain the cleverness behind their platforming challenges for every segment of the game’s overworld map. In each zone, you pretty much need to make use of map markers to highlight treasure chests you find but can’t get to, because you may later reach that area from a later part of the map or may be required to rethink your approach by looking for the solution to a platforming puzzle you didn’t even notice existed during your first time through a zone. It’s incredibly clever, and never super difficult, but it will definitely get tiring if you hate puzzle-solving to begin with since each zone has anywhere between 30-60 chests, many of which have unique materials you’ll need to upgrade your gear or complete valuable side quests. There’s hardly any backtracking though, which is nice, but some things seem reachable but aren’t until you later find another entrance into the same area, with a completely different vantage point. There’s only one zone that requires an actual gear upgrade to reach a big chunk of its area, and that’s the wind/warp element obtained in that same zone’s dungeon. Otherwise, it’s all built around clever platforming, which I definitely viewed more as a series of puzzles to solve rather than timing jumps or anything of the sort. I played it during COVID, during the span of a few months where I was incredibly depressed, and that game actually really helped pull me out of that depression-which was before I discovered the Trails series.
Yakuza 0 is great, skip NiNoKuni 2, the charm from the first game is all gone imo. Story and characters are much weaker. I was badly disappointed, it started well but soon started feeling very bland.
Can't wait to see what you think of Yakuza. I fell in love with the series after Like a Dragon/Yakuza 7 and have since played through 0 to 5 and is now playing 8. They are really one of a kind and i think you will really like them. Hope you make a video series about your progress!! And as a big Vanillaware guy I just want to give a heads-up abouts Odinsphere. It is fantastic and I am glad to hear that you are going to play it; but it is not nearly as story focused as 13 Sentinels and there is some grinding involved. Still very much worth it though.
CrossCode is an *excellent* game if you're into all the things it's doing: MMO-y almost Xenoblade-style world exploration and sidequests, fast action-combat sort of like an Ys, and very puzzle-heavy dungeons. My only warning is that it starts *very* slowly, and is really kind of a slow game in general: It's the kind of game you really soak in the vibes and atmosphere as you explore. The plot and characters are actually quite good, but they can be a bit sparse between long gameplay sections.
Odin's Sphere is probably the shortest, yet most fun (subjective) game on this list. The gameplay is smooth and responsive, yet different enough between characters to keep it refreshing when switching between them. If you're on a time constraint, load this one first. Cross Code is HEAVY on the puzzles, but the mechanics for handling the puzzles is built around the normal combat mechanics, so doing the puzzles actually helps with the combat and vise versa. Also, the puzzles have a hidden time limit. Breaking that time limit does not affect the overall story, but it does affect some short-term dialogue and character interactions. Don't beat yourself up if you can't get to this one until later. Yakuza is a must play, if only because it's a Yakuza; meaning how it ties into the rest of the series and it's global/gaming influence. Yakuza 0 is a really fun game as well. This one should be first on your list if you can devote the time it deserves, but should 100% be one that doesn't make it onto next years' list again.
Atelier Arland DX series are my first Atelier games, kinda say i have mixed feelings for Atelier Rorona and Totori but i like Atelier Meruru and Lulua. Yakuza 0 is good game, kinda wait for your opinion about the game. Your intentions to play all Yakuza games, probably not good, that intentions will make you burn out and make the game experience will worse. I experienced it myself when i try to play Assassin's Creed series. Ni no Kuni 2, for me the game is nice.
I'm still salty about the Dungeon Traveler games being stuck on Johren, I'll buy the first game on Steam as soon as it releases to show support though. I really should play Cross Code, it's been sitting in my backlog for such a long time, Odin Sphere is great, I loved playing that one on the PS4, still haven't touched Ni No Kuni 2 either.
It's really by coincidence, but I just decided to "bite the bullet" and started playing the Arland series a day ago, starting with Atelier Rorona. Until now the time limit was my biggest hurdle. Just like you I don't like that kind of game mechanics. The second hold-back, was that in order to see all outcomes, you have to replay the game. But I finally decided that, as a Atelier series lover, I just had to play the Arland series. For what I know Atelier Rorona is not that bad, but the second game Atelier Totori is brutal with time limits, and it's actually advisable to use a (spoiler free) walkthrough guide. Crystar is one of the games I also started a while ago, and so far I like it. It's to early to say more about that. Ni No Kuni II is a game I tried a while ago, but could not really get in to. The strategy and town building part did not really clicked with me, but I still want to give the game a chance somewhere in the future.
Bro you just starting Yakuza now? a heads up, you will have a huge backlog before you even finish 6 because its that long. If you focus on fully completing them it will take a long time Insomium Files was really good because the story and narrative is quite interesting and whats best is its multiple ending route depending on how you solve some puzzles.
Dragons crown, muramasa, odin sphere and unicorn overlord are the only vanillaware games worth playing, unfortunately 13 sentinels had horrible gameplay and grimgrimoire was never really all that great
So, here's where I'm at with Yakuza. I ended up getting almost every Yakuza game currently available. I was gonna get started on it and get through it cause the new game looks great... but as soon as I started it, there was a problem, at least for me. That was the fact that there is no english dub in the earlier games. I honestly didn't even consider this when I picked the games up and I was utterly disappointed when I found it was sub only. To the point that my want to play the games it's just gone now. I've played sub only games, and currently do enjoy some but I really prefer dubbed, and when it's a new (for me) series that I've been hesitant to get into already, it's hard to try and continue with it when I already have plenty in my backlog.
I’m really looking forward to hearing your opinions on the yakuza/like a dragon series as a whole. I started playing through all of them in order a little while back as well (currently on Yakuza 3) and I am having an absolute blast.
Crystar's story is really good, but yeah, they dungeons can be repetitive, especially by the end. Worth playing, but only once imho. Odin Sphere is an AMAZING GAME. I played it before I played Aegis Rim, and that made me want to buy Aegis. The bar is set super high for Unicorn Overlord.
I played through Yakuza over the past two years and if you're anythign like me, good luck getting to the rest of your backlog. It's an amazing series. I'm really enjoying Infinite Wealth.
Duuuude yakuza 0 one of the best games ever made. AI the somnium files is another gem as well... these are some great games! Rejoice, you are in for a treat
I've been playing Odin Sphere on the Vita, and while it's an incredible game, it does drag on for a bit, as you play through essentially the same levels over and over, just changing the characters and story context.
Yakuza 0 was great and so was kiwami and kiwami 2 im currently struggling in finishing the remastered collection. I felt that it was not as good as the 1st three games but im hoping to finish it later next month soi can start with yakuza 6 and like a dragon and so on
Make sure you see me when you first play cross code, I'll be waving at you! It was an amazing game for me, I loved the puzzles in it but they were not easy, there is ways to make the puzzles easier in the settings but it's overall an amazing game albeit heavy on puzzles.
Does it work for you to make such a list? I sometimes try to make a list, but I never actually get to it. I've been meaning to play Trails from Zero for half a year now, but first FF16 came out so I focussed on that, then I had to play Star Ocean First Departure R to prepare for the remake of the second game, then I borrowed some games from a friend (who obviously wanted them back within a reasonable amount of time), then other friends convinced me to buy Baldurs Gate 3, then Star Ocean Second Story R released, then a friend convinced me to finally play Spiderman from my backlog and now I'm desperately trying to complete Crisis Core Reunion and Yakuza Like a Dragon so I can play Infinite Wealth and FF7 Rebirth. And now I'm thinking I should probably play Tales of Berseria and Dragon Quest 11 this year as well, because there might be codes for free stuff inside which might expire soon. So uhh, I guess Trails from Zero will be pushed ahead a little bit more. Oh, and I also want to play Atelier Ryza, Nexomon and Chained Echoes. It's going to be a busy year...
It definitely does, I effectively put all other 'released games' on the backburner for another year and it works very well for me. This one is effectively the dregs of previous lists that weren't played, but I've got through 85% of the games from my other backlogs during that time.
Yikes, all the Yakuza games is an ambitious goal. You may avoid burnout and enjoy them more if you spread them out. I did 4-6 in sequence back in 2021 and I don’t think I enjoyed 6 as much as it was due.
I can't speak for others, but for me it's because Atelier is all about the experimenting and getting lost in the alchemy. The time limits put more of a focus on efficiency which is the complete opposite.
I'm one of the crowd that preferred Ni No Kuni II. I absolutely loved the world if Ni No Kuni but I couldn't deal with the terrible AI. The AI isn't much better here, but it's way more manageable. I also found the story to be pretty interesting.
I also need to get through the Yakuza series. Almost picked up a lot of all the games not long ago. Trying to fit it into my schedule is tough, though. Once I get a couple of huge games/series knocked off my backlog (Xenoblade!), I'll have a lot more flexibility and will probably look to do it then. Current schedule has me playing 1 Vanillaware game per year and Unicorn Overlord is the one in 2024. Really looking forward to Odinsphere and Dragon's Crown, though. I'm about 4/5 through Ni No Kuni 2. I honestly do not get the hate for it. It's been on my shelf almost completed for 5-6 years, but it's really good. 100'ing that one is probably on the list for 2025. Luckily there aren't a ton of releases that I'm super interested in for 2024. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Unicorn Overlord, and maybe Metaphor. Like all the other games in the series, I'll get to Trails eventually, I'll catch P3 remake on sale, and I guess Decapolice looks cool. Not much else, but really looks like only ~2.5 new games for me this year.
Yay! Crosscode was one of my all time favorites. I'm playing through this again with my daughter this month. There are very few block pixels... And none of the to sokuban style. If things are tricky, you can always turn the speed of the puzzles down. Yes. Puzzle speed. It's a very dynamic game.
Looking forward to hearing your views on NNK2; I really enjoyed it - the story, the music, the kingdom building, the different cities to visit all worked for me but there was one certain aspect that I just couldn't get on board with. Not enough to be detrimental, just enough to be annoying when it was enforced. Otherwise, heartily recommended game!
This is a reminder that I also need to get back to the Arland games. I went on an Atelier binge 2 or 3 years ago finishing 6 games ending with Rorona. But at that point I was a bit burnt out and I never went back other than bouncing off Sophie 2 and Ryza 3. But Totori was very much a high point of the series back on PS3, so I do look forward to replaying it. I also want to play Crystar (and Crymachina) at some point, but I don't think it's going to be this year. I have also been on the fence for the Ni No Kuni games, even with them always going on sale for $7-8. I did try Crosscode sometime last year and bounced off it. I played through the first act and up to that point the puzzles were manageable, I just didn't like the combat. In my own gaming I mostly just play whatever takes my fancy at the time with little planning involved. But this year I do want to complete at least one Atelier game, the Crossbell games from the Trails series, Nioh, and X3 (a series of space games from Egosoft).
A small list. But small is good. I plan on finishing my Awakening spotpass grind in the next 2 months. Just for the characters so I can put the game aside until I actually finish the support log. My other goal is to finish Harvestella until summer. I bought that game almost 2 years ago and am still not done. Then there is Ace Attorney. I still need to finish Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice. And my final goal is playing all the western Ys games this year. I only have 3 more to go. Weapons and Cyrus are both playing Ys 1 currently. Both are Trails fans. And all 3 of us are having a good time. But yeah, I am making this year an Ys year. I hope I can finish that kind of backlog at least. I am doing my best. Small goals are good goals.
Oh yes, I highly recommend Crosscode as for the puzzles...I am the same in that im not great at puzzles but I would say its not super difficult even for me, in fact by the end I ended up wishing for more puzzles to do
YES to yakura 0 (i am also currently playing this after loving 7 so much), AI file and ni no kuni 2. I think you will love these so much. Yakura series might will take a long time, giving how many there are, I don't think I will complete all of these this year, giving there other games I want to play. I don't have much of the backlog this year, as i am playing elden ring, and also brought baldur gate 3 (which i know it will take lot of time), but there are some JRPG I will want play this year, which is Persona 3 reload and wild arms 3.
Very keen to see your reviews on these games, especially Arland and Yakuza. Rorona (vanilla) was my first Atelier and I've loved the series since with Totori being my favourite protag, curious to see your opinions on Dusk too. Yakuza 0 is an excellent game, and one of the best in the series, especially story wise. I'm currently on Infinite now and loving it.
Hand the same goal with yakuza, had already done 7 and in the run up to 8 went through the entire series, started in November and finish gaiden 3 days before infinite wealth (also started judgement but only a few chapters in)
Cross code is such a great hidden gem, bit you may want to play it with a guide (the last „dungeon“ and it‘s puzzles were just too much for me Also, there is a true ending of the base game that you need for the awesome dlc
Odin sphere is great. Its major down side is that its quite repetitive. Had to take breaks between characters due to burn out from going through the same stages and enemies
I'd like to get Odin Shpere, but a few things are stopping me. Namely, i don't use my PS4 that much anymore, and it feels (keyword feels) like it's hard to find at discount. Also, Fire Emblem Engage. Which I'll probably get to after a second pkaythrough of Three Houses... Whenever I do that
Yeah, rarely use my PS4 anymore. Hasn't been turned on since that Crystar update. But if I finish up the final lot of games, I can just pack it away then.
I wish dungeon travelers from the Vita would come to steam! I remember having so much fun with that game back in the day. It was a tough dungeon crawler post game
@@TheKisekiNut yoooo, very nice it's a top 3 in franchise game for me (and actually my first game as strange as it is), this game also single handedly got me into playing more jrpgs (I had played jrpgs before, but never pursued the genre until playing lulua of all things)
Heher, dude going form Yakuza 0 to 6.5 and then the Judgements as well as the latest entry with Ichiban, you are looking into a 1000+ hr playthrough. It is a unique experience, can't wait to see your experience with Zero.
Dunno if its possible to burn out. The sheer volume of activities you can do, the management 'big' minigames they have, the substories... Then there's the incredible main story... Also since the games have been revised a couple of times since the PS2-3 era, all the entries have a slightly different, unique level-up/skill and combat experience.@@TheKisekiNut
It's pretty much the remnants of previous lists rolled in to 1. I manage to take large chunks out of the backlog every year, so I think I can definitely play all these.
![How to Deal with your Overwhelming Backlog - [SuperSamBams]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/y3KJ0Abd96c/mqdefault.jpg)
![Tee Grizzley - Blow for Blow (feat. J. Cole) [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wNLN5xsx5dc/mqdefault.jpg)
Wishlist Dungeon Travelers 1 today via Shiravune's website!
shiravune.com/archives/5506
Yakuza 0 is such an awesome game. The 80s setting, the music, the villains, the story, especially the Majima part, it's so good! Crosscode still lies on my pile as well, I'm also a bit hesitant because of the many puzzles.
I played CrossCode WAAAAY back when it was crowdfounded. Oh man, this is AGES ago. The puzzles ... are really prevalent. If you dont like puzzles, you dont like CrossCode. I dont like puzzles... but the action-combat was very good. Never finished it sadly.
@@danielehartmann2787 Yeah, the combat, art style and music look very good and I really want to like the game. I'm afraid the puzzles might make it a bummer for me. It seems to be possible to reduce the puzzle difficulty at least.
@@firebreather4192 I mean, if the puzzles get TOO annoying but you really want to play the game - I think to look for puzzle guides isn't too shaby ;___;
Yakuza 0 is so good, one of my fav games ever. Getting the story from the rest of the series (namely Yakuza 1-5) is not. Games have not aged well for people who are used to the high quality after Yakuza 0. Yakuza Kiwami 2 though is very good and has a lot of QOL, I do recommend that one highly especially since it sums up Yakuza 1 too. But yeah, tough series to get fully caught up on unless you wanna RUclips the main plots (I do recommend doing that for Y1, Y4, Y5. Just skip Y3 altogether)
Finish Yakuza 0 and then move on to Kiwami or… listen to Friday night on loop for 80 hours…
I'd suggest you use your time on other games if you are interested in CrossCode but don't like puzzles. They aren't just the forefront, they're the focus of the game. All the treasures, you have to figure out how to get to. The dungeons are 90% puzzles and 10% combat that's just there to break up the puzzle-solving. And the dungeons are LONG if you aren't really good at puzzle-solving. There are bosses, but even then you have to figure out how to beat them, though that is only about 1/4 as difficult as the puzzles. I like the game and I like puzzles, but even I had to call it quits after the third dungeon.
So, I'd highly advise using your time elsewhere if you don't like puzzles.
Agreed. I really want to see how the story turns out, but all the puzzles have kept me from getting through it all the way (I'm pretty sure I was on the last dungeon too). Combat and story were the highlights for me!
Yep, 100%. Although CrossCode was one of my favorite indy titles, it does have a heavy focus on puzzles. Whats worse, if you are going for achievements, they are timed which led me to eventually playing most of the game with a video walkthrough (a personal first). All that said, I also dislike puzzles and still really loved CrossCode for it's story (of which I wish there was more) and fluid action combat.
I'll give it a go. I'll realise quite quickly if the game isn't for me, but I want to at least try even if it has that puzzle focus.
I really enjoyed AI Somnium Files and I also played Nirvana Initiative. It's from the Zero Escape series creator, another fave series of mine. Puzzles, multiple story branches, and some humor to balance out the serious parts of the story. I hope you get to this one.
This looks to be the craziest year for JRPGs that I can recall. I'll have to forget about the backlog. Within 2 months from now we will have: Granblue Fantasy: Relink, Persona 3 Reload, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Unicorn Overlord and Dragon's Dogma 2
Legend of heroes
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door remake is gonna be my 2024 anticipated RPG game.
And in April there is Eiyuden Chronicle , And possibly close to that cause i know Konami wants to mess with them would be Suikoden remaster
Do yourself a favor and skip "Crystar". For all intents and purposes, the general consensus is that "Crymachina" is an overall improvement. So if you disliked "Crymachina", you will no doubt dislike "Crystar" as well.
Even narrative-wise, I've seen it get accused of being grade school tier writing by many critic types. So i'm having doubts you'd like even that.
Seems like they are just those type of games you must already have an appreciation for to like them. If you're already having doubts, chances are good they will be a miss.
My backlog is a little bit older this year: Final Fantasy XIII, XIII-2, XIII Lightning Returns and FFX-2 😃
Yakuza is a JRPG? Never tried it, but gameplay never seemed to be a JRPG.
I hate that RUclips isn’t recommending your channel to me anymore.
Can I name mine too? I want to finish at least Trails of Cold Steel 1&2, Yakuza 4&5, just to come closer to the release dates of newer entries,the Trials of Mana remake and Legend of Mana to finish the series before Vision comes out, Tales of Zestiria and 1 or 2 Atelier games. No clue about the rest, excpetgoing to play Shantae: Risky's Revenge to finish that series.
Ai the somnium files I wouldn't consider a jrpg but it great. Might as well play part 2 too
I already played through Y0-6 + LaD in the past 2 years time (you will need breaks between those games because of how similar they are). I still have Judgment and Ishin + recently released IW to go through but days are just too short. Crosscode is a masterpiece but if you hate puzzles just don't bother, all major dungeons are 70% puzzles 30% fights and those can really drag on during your first playthrough. I don't know if you have played it but you can give Astlibra Revision a go instead of Crosscode.
I played lots of games on this list. Yakuza 0 is awesome, and so is Atelier Rorona. As for Ni no Kuni II, Odin Sphere and AI The Somnium Files, I got the platinum for them, and can say that they are all great!
If you ask Vanillaware fans what the company's best game is, their most frequent answer will likely be Odin Sphere.
One problem I find with their titles, is that they often stuggle to balance good storytelling with fun gameplay. 13 Sentinels worked better in the former, and Dragon's Crown with the latter. Odin Sphere is where they got the balance just right, thought personally I enjoyed the storytelling much more and wished it had more focus.
I think Unicorn Overlord will focus more on gameplay, but it has a good premise, so Vanillaware could return to success with this title and potentially more remasters of their catalogue.
Story focus is all good for me. If the gameplay holds up, then that's a good sign.
Out of this list Yakuza 0 and Cross Code would be my favorites. First had a really interesting story and lots of side content to get lost in. It really was my starting point into the series and I still remember it clearly.
Cross Code on the other hand also has an fine story and is a beautiful 2D action RPG. But if you do not like puzzle this might be from time to time a downer for you. Also expect some backtracking here and there. But I overall had a fun time and also bought the DLC for it (which is still in my backlog)
I've played a good amount of these myself and I can say Crosscode is definitely a gem at the very least. Puzzle difficulty can be lowered if it is an issue and it doesn't feel like it takes away from enjoyment (at least in my case). Yakuza 0 was amazing and sucked me into the series which I'm still playing through (working on 5). I've got the opposite situation with Spike Chunsoft's VNs. I have Master Detective Archives but have not played it yet. AI: the Somnium Files was amazing and I hope you enjoy all of these games :D
Quite the list for being "super thin"... It's about the same size as mine, and I consider mine rather large. But i never compared backlogs with other people, so i don't know what's generally considered a large backlog.
Anyway: Yeah, I also think you'll really like the Yakuza series. And if you do like it, there are also the 2 Judgment games. I got into the series when Yakuza 0 released, and also played the series in chronological order. Back then i alternated between a Yakuza game and something else in between. I'm really looking forward to Infinite Wealth tomorrow.
It's thin compared to what my normal backlogs are, which are generally in the double digits. But this will all depend on whether I go through the entire Yakuza series too.
thanks for the video ❤ oh, i love Nino Kuni 2 so much. the first game (that I didn't want to let go and) I got platinum trophies on ps4. I also hate myself a little because Odin Sphere has been on my backlog for years T_T
If you end up not liking Yakuza 0, then this is going to be my biggest surprise of my life, not even joking. The series as a whole is amazing, I finished every main game, even Judgment and currently playing Lost Judgment. Honestly, it's my second favorite series, ever. 3 and 5 has more lows than the other games, but still, it's an amazing series and I can't recommend it enough. It's a HUGE timesink, so keep that in mind.
Odin Sphere Leifthrasir's story is... pretty meh, to put it mildly. It has some interesting moments, but it's not common. The characters are also all very shallow. The gameplay however is great. Not if you want to finish the game in 1 or 2 sittings, it can and will get repititive, but the combat just feels very nice with most characters.
genuinely shocked to see Dungeon Travelers as a sponsor for this video. While it won't change the reality that the Steam release will likely sell poorly, it's cool to see they're trying to keep Aquaplus titles alive in the West.
It's good to see such a resurgence of quality JRPGs. My wallet's going to be burning this year. Good luck to everyone getting to play what they desire.
yup... got around 10 jrpg pre-ordered already, I will need another job at this rate XD
In case someone is interested. Here's my backlog for 2024:
-- Tales of Berseria (PS4) (playing right now)
-- Tales of Arise: Beyond the Dawn (PS4)
-- Tales of Symphonia Remastered (PS4)
-- Persona 3 Remastered (PS4)
-- Trails of Cold Steel 2 (PS4)
-- Ys X ... of course
Given the pace I play games ... this could last till the end of the year. 😉
Having a good defense is sometimes the best offense. Really going to raise the bar for which games I decide to pick up this year. I’m growing tired of reselling 20+ games on Ebay every damn year lol
Crystar, crosscode, odin sphere leiftrasir and ni no kuni 2 are all gameplay focused titles, i love them all but you may not like them considering your weird story over gameplay stance, i 100% completed all 4 games including DLCs
I'm so behind backlog wise. Haven't started the Kiseki series, because every time I think of doing so, I'm just like "I don't have 1000 hours man..." Haven't started Yakuza either. That's just the tip of the iceberg.
Yakuza 0 is absolutely phenomenal and is my favorite game in the series, with Yakuza 7 (LAD) and Kiwami 2 being close picks as well. To give you a heads up, for every entry except 3 & 4, they all are amazing. Narratively the series doesn't get any better than 0 until 7 games later with Yakuza LAD, gameplay wise K2 is the best until LAD Gaiden which is after LAD. The reason I mention gameplay particularly is because since 3-5 are remasters and don't have the updated systems of 0 forward, they play really bad, with 5 being the closest to 0 and 3 being the worst gameplay in the series. 3 and 4 are also overall very boring games (for a lack of a better term).
I highly advise going into 3 with low expectations especially with how great K2 is. Using some kind of damage increase cheat, and just focusing on on the main story because you can absolutely suffer from burn out and may even turn you away from the better later entries. Luckily 3 and 4 are the shortest games in the series if you only focus on main story. That isn't to say they inherently have bad stories, characters, or music, because they're all pretty good, it's just the gameplay that is *really* bad on both fronts.
TD;LR:
0, K1, K2 - amazing games, great content, incredible gameplay
3 & 4 - awful gameplay, may suffer from burnout, okay narrtive and plot devices
5 - Long game, but decent overall, the final step before the masterpiece Y0
6, LAD (7), LAD Gaiden (7 Gaiden), LAD Infinite Wealth (8) - back to amazing games, LAD goes Turn-based, Gaiden is a marriage of 0 and K2's action gameplay to make the best, most perfected gameplay in the franchise, IW has evolved LAD Turn-based
Something every game in the series has is a phenomenal soundtrack, so there's no worry on that front!
Cold Steel IV. Taking a break from it right now, now that I finished Act 2. All the Final Fantasy 6 Anniversary stuff at the beginning of April turn me on to replay that on the Pixel remaster.
Arland series is really good, perhaps Meruru is the weakest in the series story-wise, but you get a lot of awesome characters.
And Sterkenburg is definitely a powerhouse.
Crystar.. I expect you to drop it after couple hours. Well, I did. It was really a drag and if the story was that good, I would have instead watched it on YT.
If you play Yakuza, check out Ryu Mod Manager and other mods (like from Nexusmods). I think pretty much every title gives us (outside japan) a different soundtrack, so mods can restore that - which I feel is ultimatively the best experience. On one hand, everyone says to start with Yakuza 0 - on the other hand, I would say Yakuza 0 combat is so good that you're gonna miss it even as far as into Yakuza 6. Some Yakuza titles have mods to restore the Yakuza 0 combat, some don't (due to technical limitations).
Atelier games are amazing. I played all of Arland Atelier games many years back and like them. The new mobile game is okay but too gacha.
Yakuza, I've played and beat them all and currently playing the new Like a dragon.
AI Somnium files I only tried for an hour or 2 and got bored. Maybe one day I'll go back to it.
Crystar I just finished beating too, about 2 or 3 weeks back. My Grandpa passed away on January 1st, so this game helped me cope with my loss for him since it's about being in limbo and death.
Crosscode I finished many years back as well. I kind of got bored of it halfway through but pushed through. The game is somewhat tedious.
Odin Sphere was fun. I beat it when it came out as a remastered edition. It's a good 2D JRPG scroller.
Ni No kuni 2… played years ago. Didn't like it. I wasn't too much of a fan of the first one either though. But it was better than the 2nd one by far.
The Arland games, Leifthrasir, NNK2 and Yakuza/RGG are all great.
Good luck with AI: The Somnium Files. I started out liking that game, but one character in particular, Ota, completely ruined it for me. Every scene he was in was cringe as fuck, and even his family members were just repulsive to me. It doesn't help that nothing he's a part of makes any sense either, but we have pretty different tastes, so maybe you'll come away with a better impression.
I started out similarly liking Cross Code, but I never even made it halfway through. It just utterly lost my interest for various reasons, so again, hoping you have a better experience.
I think I clocked 120 hours in Yakuza 0 by the time I was done with my first playthrough, lol. Amazing game. The balance between serious gangster drama and ridiculous humor is handled like nowhere else. You laugh your ass off one moment and cry the second without questioning the pacing.
Odin Sphere is over rated. I played a few Vanillaware games (Odin Sphere Leifthrasit, Dragon's Crown, Muramasa) and they're all repetitive poor hack and slash games with even poorer story. Odin Sphere is the other way around, the story over poorer gameplay. They look nice for a few hours but always overstay their welcome by a lot.
You put story ahead of gameplay in video games??? Half the games i play are JRPGs and i still put gameplay over story, but i figured that was most ppl, i mean we are talking about video games here, the words "game" and "gameplay" being key words here, thats like putting CGI and VFX over story in a movie, yes story is important but fun gameplay is what drives the story forward, without good gameplay and mechanics no game is worth playing regardless of how good the story is, i just lost some respect for you my guy, will still watch but that just feels so weird to me, now i just know not to take your recommendations seriously especially considering i found the gameplay in both crymachina and crystar both good, two of my favorite JRPGs, i liked the stories in both games but its the gameplay and RPG mechanics and progression that kept me playing both games, no game can get by on story alone, gameplay is what drives story forward, too many times now have stories gotten in the way of good gameplay, great gameplay can be ruined by the story, your playing with a character you love and then they kill off the character or the character leaves, a good developer will meld the story around the gameplay and will never sacrifice why we play these games just because they want to go in a direction with the story
Honestly, if puzzles are a huge red flag for you, then you will have a lot of difficulty with CrossCode. Each dungeon is filled with puzzles. Even the overworld is kind of a puzzle (where I can jump on this ledge, how I deactivate this barrier, etc). It's quite sad, because story, characters, lore, combat, music, etc, are so good. I didn't feel a shame to use a puzzle guide for this ahah. At least there is some accessibility option for the puzzles. 😁
If I’m being honest, since I actually loved playing through Crosscode, if you have a deep dislike for puzzle-solving as part of a game’s core pacing loops, then you’re better off skipping it-and I say that as someone who absolutely loved the game back in 2021-2022.
Everything involves puzzle solving, if not in dungeons then with its platforming. They took forever to develop the game because it’s fully coded in a rarely used game engine based on HTML5, specifically so that they could maintain the cleverness behind their platforming challenges for every segment of the game’s overworld map.
In each zone, you pretty much need to make use of map markers to highlight treasure chests you find but can’t get to, because you may later reach that area from a later part of the map or may be required to rethink your approach by looking for the solution to a platforming puzzle you didn’t even notice existed during your first time through a zone. It’s incredibly clever, and never super difficult, but it will definitely get tiring if you hate puzzle-solving to begin with since each zone has anywhere between 30-60 chests, many of which have unique materials you’ll need to upgrade your gear or complete valuable side quests.
There’s hardly any backtracking though, which is nice, but some things seem reachable but aren’t until you later find another entrance into the same area, with a completely different vantage point. There’s only one zone that requires an actual gear upgrade to reach a big chunk of its area, and that’s the wind/warp element obtained in that same zone’s dungeon.
Otherwise, it’s all built around clever platforming, which I definitely viewed more as a series of puzzles to solve rather than timing jumps or anything of the sort. I played it during COVID, during the span of a few months where I was incredibly depressed, and that game actually really helped pull me out of that depression-which was before I discovered the Trails series.
Yakuza 0 is great, skip NiNoKuni 2, the charm from the first game is all gone imo. Story and characters are much weaker. I was badly disappointed, it started well but soon started feeling very bland.
Can't wait to see what you think of Yakuza. I fell in love with the series after Like a Dragon/Yakuza 7 and have since played through 0 to 5 and is now playing 8. They are really one of a kind and i think you will really like them. Hope you make a video series about your progress!!
And as a big Vanillaware guy I just want to give a heads-up abouts Odinsphere. It is fantastic and I am glad to hear that you are going to play it; but it is not nearly as story focused as 13 Sentinels and there is some grinding involved. Still very much worth it though.
CrossCode is an *excellent* game if you're into all the things it's doing: MMO-y almost Xenoblade-style world exploration and sidequests, fast action-combat sort of like an Ys, and very puzzle-heavy dungeons.
My only warning is that it starts *very* slowly, and is really kind of a slow game in general: It's the kind of game you really soak in the vibes and atmosphere as you explore. The plot and characters are actually quite good, but they can be a bit sparse between long gameplay sections.
Odin's Sphere is probably the shortest, yet most fun (subjective) game on this list. The gameplay is smooth and responsive, yet different enough between characters to keep it refreshing when switching between them. If you're on a time constraint, load this one first.
Cross Code is HEAVY on the puzzles, but the mechanics for handling the puzzles is built around the normal combat mechanics, so doing the puzzles actually helps with the combat and vise versa. Also, the puzzles have a hidden time limit. Breaking that time limit does not affect the overall story, but it does affect some short-term dialogue and character interactions. Don't beat yourself up if you can't get to this one until later.
Yakuza is a must play, if only because it's a Yakuza; meaning how it ties into the rest of the series and it's global/gaming influence. Yakuza 0 is a really fun game as well. This one should be first on your list if you can devote the time it deserves, but should 100% be one that doesn't make it onto next years' list again.
Atelier Arland DX series are my first Atelier games, kinda say i have mixed feelings for Atelier Rorona and Totori but i like Atelier Meruru and Lulua.
Yakuza 0 is good game, kinda wait for your opinion about the game. Your intentions to play all Yakuza games, probably not good, that intentions will make you burn out and make the game experience will worse. I experienced it myself when i try to play Assassin's Creed series.
Ni no Kuni 2, for me the game is nice.
I'm still salty about the Dungeon Traveler games being stuck on Johren, I'll buy the first game on Steam as soon as it releases to show support though. I really should play Cross Code, it's been sitting in my backlog for such a long time, Odin Sphere is great, I loved playing that one on the PS4, still haven't touched Ni No Kuni 2 either.
crosscode puzzles are frequent and challenging but always engaging
Rorona was my first in the series. Kind of unforgiving and the town approval mechanic is badly explained, but it’s charm kept me playing to the end
It's really by coincidence, but I just decided to "bite the bullet" and started playing the Arland series a day ago, starting with Atelier Rorona. Until now the time limit was my biggest hurdle. Just like you I don't like that kind of game mechanics. The second hold-back, was that in order to see all outcomes, you have to replay the game. But I finally decided that, as a Atelier series lover, I just had to play the Arland series. For what I know Atelier Rorona is not that bad, but the second game Atelier Totori is brutal with time limits, and it's actually advisable to use a (spoiler free) walkthrough guide.
Crystar is one of the games I also started a while ago, and so far I like it. It's to early to say more about that. Ni No Kuni II is a game I tried a while ago, but could not really get in to. The strategy and town building part did not really clicked with me, but I still want to give the game a chance somewhere in the future.
Bro you just starting Yakuza now? a heads up, you will have a huge backlog before you even finish 6 because its that long. If you focus on fully completing them it will take a long time
Insomium Files was really good because the story and narrative is quite interesting and whats best is its multiple ending route depending on how you solve some puzzles.
Dragons crown, muramasa, odin sphere and unicorn overlord are the only vanillaware games worth playing, unfortunately 13 sentinels had horrible gameplay and grimgrimoire was never really all that great
So, here's where I'm at with Yakuza. I ended up getting almost every Yakuza game currently available. I was gonna get started on it and get through it cause the new game looks great... but as soon as I started it, there was a problem, at least for me. That was the fact that there is no english dub in the earlier games. I honestly didn't even consider this when I picked the games up and I was utterly disappointed when I found it was sub only. To the point that my want to play the games it's just gone now. I've played sub only games, and currently do enjoy some but I really prefer dubbed, and when it's a new (for me) series that I've been hesitant to get into already, it's hard to try and continue with it when I already have plenty in my backlog.
I’m really looking forward to hearing your opinions on the yakuza/like a dragon series as a whole. I started playing through all of them in order a little while back as well (currently on Yakuza 3) and I am having an absolute blast.
Crystar's story is really good, but yeah, they dungeons can be repetitive, especially by the end. Worth playing, but only once imho.
Odin Sphere is an AMAZING GAME. I played it before I played Aegis Rim, and that made me want to buy Aegis. The bar is set super high for Unicorn Overlord.
I would recommend using a guide for AI: the somnium files. The puzzles are terrible
I played through Yakuza over the past two years and if you're anythign like me, good luck getting to the rest of your backlog. It's an amazing series. I'm really enjoying Infinite Wealth.
A very solid list! I would add Harvestella to it but I'm biased as fuck and will shout out that game any chance I get.
Duuuude yakuza 0 one of the best games ever made. AI the somnium files is another gem as well... these are some great games! Rejoice, you are in for a treat
I've been playing Odin Sphere on the Vita, and while it's an incredible game, it does drag on for a bit, as you play through essentially the same levels over and over, just changing the characters and story context.
Yakuza 0 was great and so was kiwami and kiwami 2 im currently struggling in finishing the remastered collection. I felt that it was not as good as the 1st three games but im hoping to finish it later next month soi can start with yakuza 6 and like a dragon and so on
I dont really like yakuza 0's combat but it's up there as one of my favorite games ever that story just hits so good
Still have to play ni no kuni 2 as well, bought it on sale but just never touched it yet.
I did not expect to see a waifufied Etrian Odyssey today but neat.
Crystar loops at a point so drop difficulty to easy and just enjoy the story.
Odin sphere. I enjoy the game so much.
dudes gonna lova the yakuza series
Nice to hear a XC 2 soundtrack.
Make sure you see me when you first play cross code, I'll be waving at you!
It was an amazing game for me, I loved the puzzles in it but they were not easy, there is ways to make the puzzles easier in the settings but it's overall an amazing game albeit heavy on puzzles.
Yeah, he said he ain't wild about puzzles in the vid, didn't he? And Cross Code's gameplay is about half puzzles, heh.
Does it work for you to make such a list? I sometimes try to make a list, but I never actually get to it.
I've been meaning to play Trails from Zero for half a year now, but first FF16 came out so I focussed on that, then I had to play Star Ocean First Departure R to prepare for the remake of the second game, then I borrowed some games from a friend (who obviously wanted them back within a reasonable amount of time), then other friends convinced me to buy Baldurs Gate 3, then Star Ocean Second Story R released, then a friend convinced me to finally play Spiderman from my backlog and now I'm desperately trying to complete Crisis Core Reunion and Yakuza Like a Dragon so I can play Infinite Wealth and FF7 Rebirth.
And now I'm thinking I should probably play Tales of Berseria and Dragon Quest 11 this year as well, because there might be codes for free stuff inside which might expire soon. So uhh, I guess Trails from Zero will be pushed ahead a little bit more. Oh, and I also want to play Atelier Ryza, Nexomon and Chained Echoes. It's going to be a busy year...
It definitely does, I effectively put all other 'released games' on the backburner for another year and it works very well for me. This one is effectively the dregs of previous lists that weren't played, but I've got through 85% of the games from my other backlogs during that time.
Yikes, all the Yakuza games is an ambitious goal. You may avoid burnout and enjoy them more if you spread them out. I did 4-6 in sequence back in 2021 and I don’t think I enjoyed 6 as much as it was due.
I'll pace myself on them and do my usual deal of playing several games at once. It's ambitious, but I don't want to rush the games either.
It's interesting how so many players dislike time limits in Atelier games. Yet Persona 3, 4, and 5 have so many fans.
I can't speak for others, but for me it's because Atelier is all about the experimenting and getting lost in the alchemy. The time limits put more of a focus on efficiency which is the complete opposite.
I'm one of the crowd that preferred Ni No Kuni II. I absolutely loved the world if Ni No Kuni but I couldn't deal with the terrible AI. The AI isn't much better here, but it's way more manageable. I also found the story to be pretty interesting.
Dude yes, you'll love AI: The Somnium Files! Such an amazing game, and its sequel is pretty good too! I've gotta tackle my backlog as well 😅
I also need to get through the Yakuza series. Almost picked up a lot of all the games not long ago. Trying to fit it into my schedule is tough, though. Once I get a couple of huge games/series knocked off my backlog (Xenoblade!), I'll have a lot more flexibility and will probably look to do it then.
Current schedule has me playing 1 Vanillaware game per year and Unicorn Overlord is the one in 2024. Really looking forward to Odinsphere and Dragon's Crown, though.
I'm about 4/5 through Ni No Kuni 2. I honestly do not get the hate for it. It's been on my shelf almost completed for 5-6 years, but it's really good. 100'ing that one is probably on the list for 2025.
Luckily there aren't a ton of releases that I'm super interested in for 2024. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Unicorn Overlord, and maybe Metaphor. Like all the other games in the series, I'll get to Trails eventually, I'll catch P3 remake on sale, and I guess Decapolice looks cool. Not much else, but really looks like only ~2.5 new games for me this year.
Yay! Crosscode was one of my all time favorites. I'm playing through this again with my daughter this month. There are very few block pixels... And none of the to sokuban style. If things are tricky, you can always turn the speed of the puzzles down. Yes. Puzzle speed. It's a very dynamic game.
Yoooooooo Crystar!! Hope you enjoy it, good game (even if the gameplay can get repetitive). Characters are excellent.
Crosscode and Odin Sphere are so good. Hope you enjoy (Though it's cool if you don't. Different tastes and all that).
Looking forward to hearing your views on NNK2; I really enjoyed it - the story, the music, the kingdom building, the different cities to visit all worked for me but there was one certain aspect that I just couldn't get on board with. Not enough to be detrimental, just enough to be annoying when it was enforced. Otherwise, heartily recommended game!
This is a reminder that I also need to get back to the Arland games. I went on an Atelier binge 2 or 3 years ago finishing 6 games ending with Rorona. But at that point I was a bit burnt out and I never went back other than bouncing off Sophie 2 and Ryza 3. But Totori was very much a high point of the series back on PS3, so I do look forward to replaying it.
I also want to play Crystar (and Crymachina) at some point, but I don't think it's going to be this year. I have also been on the fence for the Ni No Kuni games, even with them always going on sale for $7-8.
I did try Crosscode sometime last year and bounced off it. I played through the first act and up to that point the puzzles were manageable, I just didn't like the combat.
In my own gaming I mostly just play whatever takes my fancy at the time with little planning involved. But this year I do want to complete at least one Atelier game, the Crossbell games from the Trails series, Nioh, and X3 (a series of space games from Egosoft).
A small list. But small is good. I plan on finishing my Awakening spotpass grind in the next 2 months. Just for the characters so I can put the game aside until I actually finish the support log. My other goal is to finish Harvestella until summer. I bought that game almost 2 years ago and am still not done. Then there is Ace Attorney. I still need to finish Dual Destinies and Spirit of Justice. And my final goal is playing all the western Ys games this year. I only have 3 more to go. Weapons and Cyrus are both playing Ys 1 currently. Both are Trails fans. And all 3 of us are having a good time. But yeah, I am making this year an Ys year. I hope I can finish that kind of backlog at least. I am doing my best. Small goals are good goals.
Oh yes, I highly recommend Crosscode as for the puzzles...I am the same in that im not great at puzzles but I would say its not super difficult even for me, in fact by the end I ended up wishing for more puzzles to do
YES to yakura 0 (i am also currently playing this after loving 7 so much), AI file and ni no kuni 2. I think you will love these so much. Yakura series might will take a long time, giving how many there are, I don't think I will complete all of these this year, giving there other games I want to play.
I don't have much of the backlog this year, as i am playing elden ring, and also brought baldur gate 3 (which i know it will take lot of time), but there are some JRPG I will want play this year, which is Persona 3 reload and wild arms 3.
Very keen to see your reviews on these games, especially Arland and Yakuza. Rorona (vanilla) was my first Atelier and I've loved the series since with Totori being my favourite protag, curious to see your opinions on Dusk too. Yakuza 0 is an excellent game, and one of the best in the series, especially story wise. I'm currently on Infinite now and loving it.
Hand the same goal with yakuza, had already done 7 and in the run up to 8 went through the entire series, started in November and finish gaiden 3 days before infinite wealth (also started judgement but only a few chapters in)
I really liked Odin Sphere. I should play the remaster as well. I just wish Vanillaware would put games out on the PC though.
Yakuza 0 lets goo, playing through the yakuza and trails games are some of the best experiences i've had
I open the video. Listen to Torigoth Night music track. I give a like. And proceed to enjoy the rest of the video.
Ni No Kuni is really nice man. I said this in the previous video too when you talked about this. But it is really nice and enjoyable.
Cross code is such a great hidden gem, bit you may want to play it with a guide (the last „dungeon“ and it‘s puzzles were just too much for me
Also, there is a true ending of the base game that you need for the awesome dlc
Been hoping for a long time that Dungeon Travelers comes to Switch!
I'm super jazzed for you. So many of the games on this list are excellent.
No no Kuni 2 is amazing! For me a standard jrpg enjoyer, even better than first one.
Odin sphere is great. Its major down side is that its quite repetitive. Had to take breaks between characters due to burn out from going through the same stages and enemies
Focus on the story for the Yakuza series if you don't want them to drain dozens of hours per title
Odin Sphere L was on PS3 ,not ps2
Was talking about the original which was PS2.
Odin Sphere is a masterpiece, I'm sure you will love it!
1:45 xeboblade 2 ost ayyyyyyyyy
i think this is a town bgm. I just unlocked mitra on one cutscene.
Music is in the description if you're interested.
@@TheKisekiNut sounds good.im just saying that game osts on your videos are like easter eggs for me.
I'd like to get Odin Shpere, but a few things are stopping me. Namely, i don't use my PS4 that much anymore, and it feels (keyword feels) like it's hard to find at discount.
Also, Fire Emblem Engage. Which I'll probably get to after a second pkaythrough of Three Houses... Whenever I do that
Yeah, rarely use my PS4 anymore. Hasn't been turned on since that Crystar update. But if I finish up the final lot of games, I can just pack it away then.
I wish dungeon travelers from the Vita would come to steam! I remember having so much fun with that game back in the day. It was a tough dungeon crawler post game
Steam banned the other 2 DT games, so that'll never happen. you're better off calling for Aquaplus to port the series to Switch.
I really want to your see reaction to lulua when you get there
On it as we speak, only about 5 hours in for now.
@@TheKisekiNut yoooo, very nice it's a top 3 in franchise game for me (and actually my first game as strange as it is), this game also single handedly got me into playing more jrpgs (I had played jrpgs before, but never pursued the genre until playing lulua of all things)
Heher, dude going form Yakuza 0 to 6.5 and then the Judgements as well as the latest entry with Ichiban, you are looking into a 1000+ hr playthrough. It is a unique experience, can't wait to see your experience with Zero.
It's going to be one wild journey tho 😂
Yeah, it's am ambitious goal. But I'll play at my own pace, don't want to burn out on what should be a hit series.
Dunno if its possible to burn out. The sheer volume of activities you can do, the management 'big' minigames they have, the substories... Then there's the incredible main story... Also since the games have been revised a couple of times since the PS2-3 era, all the entries have a slightly different, unique level-up/skill and combat experience.@@TheKisekiNut
It really is such a great feeling to have good games as your backlog games
It's pretty much the remnants of previous lists rolled in to 1. I manage to take large chunks out of the backlog every year, so I think I can definitely play all these.
Scarlett from unicorn overlord on screen "2024 is bursting at the seams" it certainly seems that way.
*AI: The Somnium File's story is complete garbage.*
With you on the whole 'story over gameplay' 👍🏼 cheers.
I usually skip through ads but for… some reason… I couldn’t take my eye off it… I can’t put my finger on why… 😂